I have chosen Atkins and Murphy (1994) to reflect upon the philosophy of care I observed on labour ward placement. To protect the identity of those mentioned, all names have been changed, in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2015). This reflection was born following many difficult shifts on labour ward as a passionate yet weary student midwife approaching qualification; it helped me to unpick and comprehend conflicting feelings I had towards the profession. Having gained more confidence and competence in clinical duties, I had now reached a critical stage in my training where I started to realise the kind of midwife I wanted to be. However, I was disillusioned and unsatisfied at how difficult it seemed to be for midwives to incorporate normality into the obstetric unit. The reflection highlights that, as individuals, we are not alone in our ambitions to improve women-centred care, and that together we can make a big difference if we all make small changes to our practice.